All the Arts, All the Time

L.A. Opera to host free outdoor screenings of 'Il Postino'

October 4, 2010 | 2:52
pm

Los Angeles Opera will host two free outdoor screenings of its current production of "Il Postino" in downtown L.A. and Costa Mesa, in response to what it says is strong demand for tickets for the world premiere production starring Plácido Domingo.

The opera, written by Daniel Catán and based on the popular 1994 movie, will screen at California Plaza in downtown L.A. at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday and at the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa at 7 p.m. on Monday. Both outdoor screenings are free and no tickets are required for entry.

Both public screenings will feature a performance of "Il Postino" recorded at Saturday's matinee performance at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.

This marks the first time that L.A. Opera has produced outdoor screenings, following in the footsteps of the Metropolitan Opera, which broadcasts certain productions to Times Square in New York.

Christopher Koelsch, the chief operating officer of L.A. Opera, said the company was considering the possibility of adding another performance of "Il Postino" but the logistics were too complicated. He said the screenings will allow "a larger group to see it than would otherwise be able to."

L.A. Opera said there are 300 remaining tickets for the final three performances of "Il Postino," which runs through Oct. 16.

The downtown L.A. screening is being co-produced by Grand Performances, an organization that provides free performing-arts events at California Plaza, and will accommodate up to 5,000 attendees. The Costa Mesa screening is being presented as part of OCPAC's Free for All series.

L.A. Opera said that it is actively pursuing an eventual DVD release of "Il Postino." The company said the DVD won't appear before the 2011-12 season so that the current production can travel to the Theater an der Wien in Vienna and the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, both of which are co-producers on the opera.